RED To Launch Hydrogen One Smartphone With Holographic Display Early Next Year: Preorder Now For ‘Only’ $1,200

High-end camera company RED is dipping into the smartphone market with a premium device named the Hydrogen One, which is expected to be launched in early 2018.

After creating cameras used to film blockbuster movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and The Martian, RED has now opened preorders for a smartphone that has a holographic display as its headline feature.

RED Unveils Hydrogen One

RED unveiled the Hydrogen One through a press release, describing the smartphone as a device that comes with features that “shatter the mold of conventional thinking.”

First and foremost among these features is 5.7-inch holographic display, which features nanotechnology that allows the screen to seamlessly switch between traditional 2D content, holographic multi-view content, 3D content, and interactive games.

The technology sounds similar to the system used on the Nintendo 3DS, which does not require the user to wear glasses to enjoy the visual effect. It will likely not enable the holographic communications featured in various science fiction movies, but it is unclear what exactly users can expect from the Hydrogen One’s holographic display.

“There is no good way to describe it until you see it,” wrote founder Jim Jannard in a post on the official RED forums. It looks like this means that we will have to wait for more information on what exactly the feature offers.

In addition to the holographic display, the Hydrogen One is also a modular smartphone that will allow users to utilize the device with various attachments. The device also features a USB-C port, expandable storage, and will be powered by a version of Android.

Jannard added that the cameras of the Hydrogen One will not be able to take cinema-quality images, but attachments launched in the future for the smartphone will create an image quality only beaten by RED’s own professional cameras.

Hydrogen One Preorders Now Open

The specifications of the Hydrogen One is still subject to change, but RED has already opened preorders for the upcoming smartphone.

The price tag for the device, however, is an extravagant $1,200 for the aluminum version and an even higher $1,600 for the titanium version.

With specifications not yet finalized and an expensive price, it looks like filling up the preorders for the Hydrogen One will be a tough sell for RED. For what it’s worth, though, Jannard said that customers who pay upfront are entitled to a full refund if they do not like what they see from the Hydrogen One as its final details are announced.